From Coal to Coffee Shops: Glenville Mayor Dr. Mark Sarver Champions Rural Reinvention on The Good Government Show

In a recent episode of The Good Government Show, Glenville Mayor Dr. Mark Sarver offered a hopeful blueprint for rural coal towns facing economic decline. As both mayor and business professor at Glenville State University, Dr. Sarver has spent the last two years helping lead the “Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities” initiative—a national cohort of 20 leaders working to transform former coal-dependent regions.

“We visited coal communities in Virginia, Colorado, Wyoming, and across Appalachia,” Dr. Sarver told host Dave Martin. “Some places are recruiting high-tech energy startups. Others are rethinking tourism, housing, or small business incubators. But the key lesson is: no one solution fits all. The best results come from hyper-local innovation and regional cooperation.”

For Glenville, that means turning vacant land into new housing stock, launching business incubators, and leveraging broadband access to attract remote workers. Sarver described a planned coffee shop incubator modeled after Chick-fil-A’s franchise-lite approach. “If we build the storefront with grant money, a local entrepreneur only needs $2,500 to get started. Then we share profits and reinvest in the next venture,” he explained. “That’s how you build momentum in a small town.”

Asked what good government looks like in coal country, Dr. Sarver was clear: “It starts with infrastructure—good water, good sidewalks, a police force you trust. But after that, it’s about building a place people want to live, work, and play. Glenville is beautiful. It’s safe. And if we keep investing in our people, the economy will follow.”